Blake Snow

writer-for-hire, content guy, bestselling author

As seen on CNN, NBC, ABC, Fox, Wired, Yahoo!, BusinessWeek, Wall Street Journal
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Tagged cnn

Recent travel stories I’ve published for CNN, NatGeo, USA Today, LA Times, and more

For nearly 10 years, I’ve written and published hundreds of travel articles for CNN, National Geographic, USA Today, LA Times, Washington Post, Lonely Planet, Fodor’s, Expedia, Orbitz, Frommers, and Travel Weekly. For that last six years, I’ve served as the monthly travel columnist for Paste Magazine (5 million readers), which has taken me to six continents and dozens of countries. For my most recent articles, click here. For some of my favorites, consider these:

Best of 2023

  1. What I’ve learned after 10 years of travel writing
  2. 5 funny ways Europe differs from America
  3. With war next door, I hiked 50 miles into Petra on the Jordan Trail
  4. Is Fairbanks the best place in America to see the Northern Lights?
  5. 5 things to love about Celebrity Apex
  6. The most cosmopolitan cities in the world
  7. 5 things to know before road-tripping to Southern Colorado’s National Parks
  8. Why some New Yorkers never visit the Statue of Liberty
  9. Tokyo: What my family learned in the world’s largest and safest city
  10. 18 travel tips that actually work
  11. The best way to visit Paris with kids
  12. Amsterdam: Cozy canals and the “Garden of Europe”
  13. Everything you need to know about the 7 wonders of the world
  14. Safari with kids: Seeing Africa’s “big game” on a budget
  15. Ultra-long haul flights: How I survived 16 hours in the sky
  16. Wasting away again at Margaritaville’s newest Cancun all-inclusive
  17. Will travel for music: Beck and Phoenix in sunny California
  18. Is skydiving the most physiological rewarding form of travel?

Continue reading…

The ’90s according to CNN’s solid documentary on the decade

Earlier this year, I was enthralled by CNN’s excellent and Tom Hanks-produced miniseries on modern history, so much so that I binged them all during two long haul flights.

The first one I watched, The Nineties, was about my adolescence and it did not disappoint. In only seven sentences, this is how the documentary summarized the decade:

  • TV: The decade starts with “The Simpsons,” ends with “The Sopranos,” and MTV permeates Generation X eyeballs with “reality TV” while cable news sensationalizes everything.
  • Music: Nirvana releases “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and Generation X finally feels heard. Women become the “latest trend in rock” and gangsta rap takes over.
  • Politics: Bill Clinton rides into the White House on a wave of hope, but his presidency is soon weighed down by scandal and staunch Republican opposition.
  • Globalization: The Soviet Union collapses and world leaders attempt to shape a New World Order. Nelson Mandela is freed and Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait.
  • Information Age: Computers go mainstream and the Information Age begins. Microsoft takes over everything and a new thing called the internet connects the world.
  • Terrorism: The radical right gains steam, with extremist elements carrying out acts of domestic terrorism. The Unabomber terrorizes the country.
  • Division: Racial issues erupt across the country. The police beating of Rodney King sparks the L.A. riots. The O.J. Simpson trial captivates the nation.

Not a bad recap for a fast-moving documentary about a forward-thinking decade. 4/5 stars.

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Blake Snow: The best things I published recently

Nachi Falls Pagoda courtesy Wakayama Tourism

Thanks for reading my work:

Published works: 10 ways to save on tech this year

(CNN) — From Airbnb to GasBuddy to shopkick, lots of apps and websites help consumers save money.

But how do we spend less on technology itself — that digital drug we can’t seem to get enough of? How can we save money on electronic gadgets and services … so that we can buy more gadgets?

Here are 10 ways to stretch your tech budget this year: Continue reading…

100% of Americans are liars, says CNN poll


After visiting CNN.com yesterday for the first time in over a year, I stumbled upon this interesting poll: 92 percent of Americans admit to being liars, 2 percent lie about being liars, and 6 percent admit to lying while polling. Now you know.